Road striping machine



June 16, 1936. BALL 2,044,558

ROAD STRIPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 15, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 g w g3 g 1INVENTOR:

Jbk

@z's ATTORNEY.

June 16, 1936. J. H. BALL ROAD STRIPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 13, 1934 4Sheets-Shet 2 ATTORNEY.

.Fune 16, 1936. J. H. BALL.

RoAb STRIPING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 13, 1934 INVENTOR:

I fang I Zjs' ATTORNEY.

June 16, I936. H A 2,044,558

ROAD STRIPING MACHINE Filed Aug. 13, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I" V FPatented June 16, 1936 STATE attests FATEN E' @FFEQE 12 Claims.

This invention relates to road striping machines for placing th'e centerline markings or stripes on highways having the ordinary single lane oftravel in each direction andalso for the placing of stripes definingmultiplelane roadways. In some respects, the invention is a directimprovement upon that disclosed in Letters Patent, No. 1,928,551,granted to me September 26, 1933, while in other respects it is ageneral improvement in machines of its character, the prime object beingto attain high efficiency through means of easy and convenientmanipulation in a practical and durable structure.

The essential features of the invention and several advantages to beattained will be set forth in the following description and afterwardspointed out with particularity in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a practical adaptation of theinvention,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the complete machine;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machine;

Figure 3 is a detail view of one of the steering elements detached;

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the machine;

Figure 5 is 'a vertical sectionof thesimia tainer, showing details ofassociated" working parts; i a

' Figure 6 is a horizontal section of the container taken on or aboutthe line 6- 6 of Figure 5;""

Figure? is an enlargeddetail View, in vertical section, showing apractical form and arrangement'of paint distributing nozzle and guardtherefor;

' Figure 8 is a face view of one of the paint applying brushes;

Figure 9 is a similar view of another co-operating brush element; H

Figure 10 shows a further modified brush element; and u H Figure 11shows the cross section of the brush element and clamping plates forholding and shaping it'. Y

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral I designates, generally, amotor vehicle of any ordinary or preferred structure. As shown, thevehicle comprises the usual chassis or body frame 2, on the forwardportion of which is located the motor (not shown) which is enclosed inthe conventional hood 3, housing also the obviously associated parts ofthe power mechanism which need no further detailed description here. Thefront ground wheels i are obviously mounted to swivel in the usualmanner (not shown) for steering the vehicle, the steering mechanismbeing of the ordinary type and operated by the usual hand wheel 5 fromthe regulandrivers seat 5 of the vehicle. In this connection, however,it may be here noted that means, hereinafter more fully described, isprovided, in accordance with the present inven: tion, for disconnectinga part or parts of the nor mal steering mechanism and connecting inplace thereof a special supplemental steering mecha: nism for steeringthe vehicle under different conditions in the application of the stripeto the roadway. J 'Y The rear ground wheels 'I of the vehicle are drivenby the usual driving axle, indicated gen: erally at 8, which isconnected with the motor through the usual transmission (not shown) andis operated under the regular controlling elements usually provided forthe purpose.

Power for operating working parts of the paint:- applying mechanism ofthe present invention, as well as other mechanical motor driven partsmay be taken in a practical manner from the driving axle 8. As shown, asprocket wheel 9 is. secured on the hub portion or otherwise. securedaxially of the adjacent wheel I.

On the body frame of the motor vehicle is a transverse countershaft l0having fixed thereon a sprocket wheel H which is rotated by a chain l2from said sprocket wheel 9,, the chain passing angularly over idlersprocket wheels l3, M, which arrangement permits relative up and downmove: ment between the chassis or bod frame 2 and the driving axle 8 ofthe vehicle without causing ap preciable variation in the proper workingt autness or slack in the chain [2. i

Mounted on supplemental frame members l5, at the rear portion of thevehicle I is a paint container l 6,preferably in the form of a cylindriecal tank, as shown, and having a conical or cupped bottom ll, from nearthe center of which a pipe I8 leads to a pump [9. The pump, which ismerely illustrated conventionally, is preferably of a rotary type, andon its shaft is a toothed gear Wheel meshing with a similar wheel 20%secured on the countershaft IE9, whereby the pump is operated.

Within the pa nt container I6 is. a stirring device comprising a centralvertical shaft 2| having blades 22 thereon and located in proximity tothe bottom of the tank (see, Figure 5 of the draw ings), said shaftbeing journaled at its lower end in'a suitable bearing '23 and its upperend portion extending through the cover 2Q at the top of the tank, whereit is provided with a bevelled gear 25. Meshing. with the gear 25, is asimilar gear 26 secured onthe inner. end portion of a driving shaftllreel in hea ng m mber .8- 1 ma 24, said shaft 21 being provided at itsouter end with a sprocket wheel 29 which is driven from a sprocket wheel30 on the countershaft Ill by a chain 3|.

In practice, the shaft 2| is rotated at a speed so that the stirringblades 22 do not excessively agitate the painting liquid within thecontainer, but merely to prevent accumulation of sediment at the bottomof the tank and keep the paint mixture in proper working state, thespeed of the shaft being regulated according to the consistency of thepaint mixture. To this effect, the blades 22 are preferably slotted, asat 32, said slots, as shown, being tapered correspondingly to the taperof the blades and widening or flaring towards the outer ends of theblades which are widest near their outer ends and said end portionsbeing preferably rounded, substantially as shown.

In the pipe l8 leading from the bottom of the tank IE to the pump IS aflow-regulating valve or device 33 (not shown in detail) is obviouslyprovided so as to be adjusted in any approved manner according to thefluidity of the paint mixture or product used in marking the stripe onthe roadway. Between this regulating valve or device 33 and the pump I9is a cut-off valve or device 34, provided with an operating lever arm 35pivotally secured at its outer end to a connecting rod 36 which is inturn operably connected to a suitable foot-pedal 3 1 within convenientrange of the driver's seat 6, whereby to be operated at will, to openand close the valve. So, too, it may be desirable, in some cases, tomount a similar foot pedal on a transverse shaft extension (to behereinafter described) at either side of the vehicle within convenientreach of a supplemental drivers seat located correspondingly lateral ofthe vehicle in certain working conditions under which the machine isused.

Extending laterally, from the left side of the motor vehicle frame 2, isa platform, or body frame extension 38, at the outer end of which is arearwardly disposed bracket extension or frame element 39 on which thehereinbefore described idlers I3, l4 are mounted. This bracket extensionor frame element also is provided with a suitable lateral extension 40on which a supporting member 4| is mounted, in a suitable manner (notshown in detail) to swing both about a vertical axis and a horizontalaxis, as in a conventional universal joint or the like, and supported onsaid member 4| is a supplemental carriage frame 42 provided with wheelsor rollers 43 whereby said frame, in a lowered position, travels on thesurface of the roadway alongside of the motor vehicle I in use.

The carriage frame 42, as thus mounted and provided with the groundwheels or rollers 43, tracks parallel with the motor vehicle I in astraight away forward travel, and readily takes curves without anyappreciable lateral skidding effects which might tend to distort thestripe being painted in the manner presently described. At the forwardend of this carriage frame 42, axially coincident with the vertical axisof its swivelled mounting, is a nozzle member 44, (shown in detail inFigure '7) comprising a vertical tubular. stem or shank portion 45 witha T-head 46 at its lower end, said portion 46 being provided withdownwardly and rearwardly inclined discharge apertures 41.

At the upper end of the stem or shank portion 45 of the nozzle member 44is a conventional, hand-operated cut-off valve 48, and communieatingwith this cut-off valve is a nipple member 49 to which one end of aflexible pipe 50 is connected, the opposite end of said flexible pipebeing connected to the hereinbefore described pump l9, and through whicha steady supply of paint under a given pressure is conveyed to thenozzle when the machine is in operation in the process of applying thestripe to the roadway. This provision of a flexible pipe connectionbetween the pump and nozzle permits a universal vertical and horizontalswinging movement of the carriage frame 42 on its aforesaid swivelledsupport.

Extending forwardly from the lateral platform or body frame extension 38is a bracket member or arm 5|, to the rear end portion of which anoperating lever 52 is pivotally mounted, as at 53, the lower end portionof said lever being pivotally attached, as at 54, to a link member 55,disposed in parallel relation to said bracket member or arm 5|. Theforward end portion of said link member is swingably supported at theforward end of said bracket member or arm 5! by a link 56 correspondingin length between its points of pivotal attachment to the distancebetween the pivotal points 53 and 54 of the lever 52, whereby, upon theoperation of said lever 52, the link member 55 is moved forwardly andrearwardly but maintained in substantially horizontal and parallelrelation to the surface of the roadway. By this provision andarrangement a drip pan 51, carried by the rearward extension 58a of adownwardly extending arm 58 of the hori- Zontal link member 55, issupported normally in front of the nozzle member 44, and by manipulationof the lever 52 is moved, at the will of the operator, to a positionunder the discharge end of the nozzle in a manner and for the purposepresently described. So, too, the valve 48 is operated by a lever arm48a and a link connection 481) with said hand lever 52.

Preferably, the nozzle member 44 is surrounded at its front and oppositelateral sides by a guard device 59 which is open at its rear side andbottom. As shown, the upper portion of this guard device comprises asquare box-like housing of either sheet or cast metal, to the lowermarginal portion of which is attached, preferably adjustably, an apron60, of canvas, rubber or other suitable flexible material having acertain inherent resilient or form-retaining quality. By

this provision, the apron 60, whose lower edge portion extends in closeproximity to the surface of the roadway, but obviously without touching,Serves to check drafts of air which might deflect the jet of paint beingdischarged from the nozzle and otherwise serves to confine the dischargeof the paint to the limited width of the stripe being applied to theroadway. The adjustment of the apron 60, vertically on the upper, rigidhousing portion 59 may be effected in any approved manner, but as shown,it is apertured, as at SI, for the application of securing bolts 62which releasably clamp the apron between the sides of the housing 59 andan outer retaining band or strap 63.

The flexible character of the apron permits the ready shifting of thedrip pan 5'! thereunder when the painting operation is stopped, whe: toprevent drippage from the nozzle to the r dway until the desiredpainting operation. is again started, at the will of the operator. Thisis an important feature of the present invention, as well as the manyother objects and advantages attained by and through the severalinstrumentalities and arrangements of the complete machine as herein setforth.

As shown, the carriage frame 42 comprises a rectangular body member towhich the forward ground wheels 53 are secured by. a yoke 64, while therear wheels are carried by a yoke 65 which is attached to an angularbracket extension 65 at the rear end of the body member of the frame.However, this carriage may be constructed in any other approved ordesired manner.

The paint as discharged on the roadway from the nozzle head 46 is wipedand evenly'spread throughout the width of the applied stripe by a seriesof brush elements, in lineal alinement, following the nozzle. Inaccordance with the best practice, as experience has proven, the formand arrangement of brush elements will now be described. Immediatelyfollowing the nozzle, it is preferable to place a brush 61 of relativelyresilient, flexible sheet fabric or material, of rectangular form andprovided with a single notch or recess 68 at the middle of the loweredge por-- tion which moves in contact with the road surface with aWiping effect like a squilgee. This brush element, as are all the othersof its character in the assembly, is given an arcuate form in horizontalcross section, the concavity being to the front, whereby to have theeffect of gathering the deposited paint and confining it to the maximumwidth of the applied stripe on the roadway, with a tendency tolongitudinally centralize the greater portion of the paint, asoriginally deposited, medially of the area of the stripe. This brushelement, like the others following, is releasably clamped, in anyapproved manner (not shown) between a pair of transversely arcuate,vertically elongated, metal plates 69 which are secured to a crossmember Hi spanning the carriage body frame 42.

Next following the brush element 61, it is preferable and practical todispose a bristle brush "H of the ordinary painting type and of a widthcorresponding to the width of the stripe to be applied. Then, insequence, a brush element 72 is provided of the same character as brushelement 57, with the exception that it is preferably made with two lowermarginal notches or recesses 13, said recesses being located relativelynear the vertical margins of the brush and the width of the bottom edgebetween the recesses being greater than the width of the recess 68 ofsaid brush element 61, by which arrangement the first brush element 87,by its transversely concaved form and the central location of its recess8, wipes the deposited paint on the road surface inwardly from eachmargin of the stripe and, in effect, produces a gathered ridge of thesurplus paint longitudinally and medially of the stripe, which medialridge the middle portion of the brush element 12, between its recesses73, wipes down appreciably, and said recesses 13 facilitate theformation of two outer ridges paralleling the original medial ridge andthe three ridges thus produced being of substantially equal proportionsand divided from the original bulk of the original ridge.

Following the brush F2, in some cases, it is advantageous to utilize anadditional element '84, which may be substantially identical with theelement 72, but, for practical purposes, the lower marginal wipingportion is preferably provided with a larger number of notches orrecesses 15, each of somewhat lesser width than the recesses 68 and 713,respectively, of the brush elements 51 and '12. This element 14functions to more evenly distribute the coating of paint in "the-stripearea on the roadway. Next following the brush element it it ispreferable toprovide a final brush element 16 of the ordinary bristletype, similar to the element ll hereinbefore described.

By the co-aotion of the several brush elements of the squilgee type,"provided with the marginal recesses in their wiping portions, togetherwith the bristle brushes as arranged therewith, a well defined stripewith an evenly distributed, durable body of paint is readily applied tothe surface :of the roadway under the control of the operator throughinstrumentalities now to be described. In this connection, thebrush-elements may be further modified, but the herein described assembly is practical for most striping operations.

While the machine is being transported to and from places of operationand during such time as o eration is suspended, and, obviously, also inthe process of painting non-continuous or interrupted or brokenlinetypes of highway lane markings, the supplemental carriage 52 can belifted to bring its ground wheels 43 out of supporting contact from theroad surface. This is conveniently accomplished by connecting the rearend portion of the body frame $2 to the arm 17 of a bell-crank by achain 78, said bell-crank being pivotally mounted on a bracket extension19 of the vehicle chassis or body frame, as at 8*],

its opposite arm 8! being pivotally attached to a link member 82 whichis in turn p'ivotally attached to the hereinbefore described operatinglever 52. By this arrangement the carriage E2 is swung upwardly on itsswivelled support at its forward end, simultaneously with the operationof the lever 52 in effecting the closing of valve 43 and the movement ofthe drip pan 5? to its working position under the paint discharge nozzle44.

In the normal or ordinary operation and control of the motor vehicle Iin transporting the machine from place to place, the steering anddriving control is accomplished solely from the regular drivers seat 6through the means usually provided. However, in the steering andcontrol, under various working conditions in the process of applying thepainted stripe to a roadway, it is necessarily or more convenientlyaccomplished from different stations specially provided on the vehicleas extensions of the body frame or as supplemental attachments theretoand through specially provided controlling facilities, as will now beset forth with particularity.

In cases where the margin of the roadway is well defined and observable,and the roadway is of uniform width throughout the length thereof and tobe marked with a central single stripe or, obviously, a multiplicity ofparallel stripes defining multiple lanes, the vehicle is convenientlyguided by having a chain or other flexible, or even a. hinged, rigid,pendant marker element 83, suspended from a laterally projecting arm orsupport 83a at the forward end of the body frame of the vehicle andmaintained vertically coincident above the road margin, preferably theright hand margin, under the observation of the driver while seated orstanding at a station laterally offset from the main body of thevehicle. To facilitate this manipulation on the part of the driver, aplatform 84 is extended from the right side of the vehicle main frame 2,on which is placed a seat 85, within reaching distance of which is thehand wheel 85 of a supplemental steering post or column 81, at the lowerend of which latter is an ordinary gearing (not shown in detail),

preferably of the approved worm screw type, indicated, generally, by thenumeral 88. The platform is supported by an idler ground wheel 84a.

The gearing 88 is located in a suitable housing secured on the outer endportion of a. tubular frame attachment 89 which is convenientlyattached, as at 99, to the front end portions of the side members of themain body frame 2 (see Fig ure 1). This attachment 89 may be suitablytrussed, as at 9|, or in any other approved manner. One of the purposesof the attachment 89 is to support a shaft 92 (shown detached in Figure3) which latter in use, is inserted and rotatably supported in saidelement 89. At one end, the shaft 92, as shown conventionally, at 93, islongitudinally formed with suitable key ways or obvious alternategrooves and shoulders or ribs to fit into a counterpart socket providedin the driving element of gearing 88 of the supplemental steeringmechanism just above described so as to afford a detachable drivingconnection. At the opposite end of the shaft 92 a lever arm 94 isprovided to which a link 95 is pivotally attached, as by a universaljoint, in an ordinary manner, said link 95 being in turn connectible tothe regular steering arm 9a of the front ground wheel 4 at the left sideof the vehicle, in place of the link which connects the normal steeringmechanism of the vehicle with said regular steering arm.

As the details of the normal steering mechanism are well known and onlyenter into the present invention in a general way, no further specificdescription or illustration in the. drawings is deemed necessary to afull understanding v of the invention. Therefore, the mechanism isdescribed generally and only set forth with particularity in that saidlink 95, is, in use, connected to the steering arm 4a of the left frontwheel 4. By this provision, the steering of the vehicle can beconveniently controlled from the supplemental driver's seat 85 ashereinbefore described.

In some operations, particularly in cases where an existing stripe is tobe renewed or may be followed as a guide in the placing of anotherstripe parallel thereto on a multiple lane roadway, the

steering of the vehicle is more conveniently controlled and operatedfrom the left side of the vehicle, provision for which is made either byextending a. special platform or body frame attachment or utilizing thehereinbefore described platform or frame extension 38, on which, asshown, is placed a supplemental drivers seat 96, within easy reach ofwhich is the operating lever 52 for the supplemental carriage 42 anddrip pan 5'! of the paint applying mechanism, and from which seat 96,also, the driver controls the steering by manipulating the hand wheel 9!on a shaft 98 of a supplemental steering mechanism now to be described.

As shown, the shaft 98 is rotatably mounted, adjacent the hand wheel91,. on an upstanding supporting frame 99 on the platform or frameextension 38, its lower end portion being connected by a universal jointI99 to a second shaft element IDI suitably journalled, as at I02, and asconventionally shown, by a supporting bracket secured to the left sidemember of the main body frame and fender above the left front groundwheel 4. The shaft element I9I is connected at its forward end totheworm screw of a gearing (not shown in detail) which is similar to thehereinbefore described gearing 88 and is located in a housing I93secured on a forward extension I94 of the housing I93 is a crank-arm I06which is connectible through a link It! with the regular steering arm 4aof the left front ground wheel 4, in place of said link member 95 of theherein first described supplemental steering means, which, as described,is provided for inter-changeable connection with said regular steeringarm in place of the usual link which connects the normal steeringmechanism of the vehicle with said regular steering arm.

Sighting means is conveniently provided by removing the shaft element 92from the tubular frame attachment 89 and inserting and supportinglysecuring in said attachment 89 an angular extension I08 of alongitudinally disposed supporting bar I09, on the forward end portionof which a vertical rod I I9 is mounted, the inner end portion of saidbar I99 being supported, as at I I I, on the platform 38 and having avertical extension H2 at said inner end and provided with a forked upperend portion II2a through which the driver sights said forwardly disposedrod III] while manipulating the hand wheel 9! to keep the sighted rod II0 in alinement with the existing stripe on the roadway, or, in somecases, on a straightaway stretch of the roadway on which there is noexisting stripe, to keep the sighted rod I ID in line with a distantmark, whereby to apply a stripe to the roadway with substantial accuracyof location.

In some operations there may be employed one operator who occupies thenormal drivers seat 6 so as to control the driving of the vehicle andalso to operate the foot pedal 31 which controls the opening and closingof the cut-off valve 34, while another operator occupies thesupplemental seat 96 and controls the raising and lowering of thesupplemental carriage 42 and observes the paint applying effect and canreadily direct the first mentioned operator, either verbally or bysignal code, to open or close the cut-off valve 34.

In other cases the one operator who occupied the normal driver's seat 6,as just above described, may occupy the supplemental drivers seat 85 onthe platform 84 herein first described, whereby to steer the vehiclethrough the provisions described for use in connection with the righthand margin of the roadway or an existing stripe, as the case may be;and, to enable this operator, at the station just mentioned, to operatethe cut-off valve 34, while also steering the vehicle, a. supplementalfoot pedal 31a is provided on a transverse shaft extension II3, asearlier herein generally described; said shaft extension I I3 beingconnected to the first mentioned pedal 37 so that either pedal will beequally effective in opening and closing said cut-off valve 39. At thesame time the operator stationed on platform extension 38 performs hispart of the work as just previously herein described.

In still other cases the one driver stationed on the platform extension38 may not only control the paint applying mechanism, but also drive thevehicle and control, at will, the opening and closing of the cut-offvalve 34. The steering in these cases is, of course, controlled by theoperator manipulating the hand wheel 91; and, to enable the operator tocontrol the cut-off valve 34, another supplemental foot pedal 9??) isprovided on the platform 38 and connected by a link and leverage 31c toan oppositely extending transverse shaft extension I I4 in easy reachfrom the drivers seat 98. The one operator in this instance, therefore,controls the entire manipulation of the machine.

It i-na'y here be also mentioned that, "obviously, there may besupplemental means for the various driving controls used in the normaldriving of the vehicle, but it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate anddescribe the same in detail in this specification, as such parts ordevices do not enter specifically into the present invention.

-By the use of a machine in accordance with the present invention, acontinuous stripe is painted economically and with substantial accuracyof location on roadways of either the single or the multiple lane type;the paint is distributed evenly and uniformly throughout the entirelength and breadthcf the-stripe; and the facility with which the paintapplying mechanism can be brought into Working relation to the surfaceof the roadway and lifted therefrom, at the will of the operator, makes"for practicability in the applying of either a continuous :stripe or abroken line marking due to thefacility with which the supplementalcarriage E2 is raised and lowered atthe will of the operator through themeans hereinbefore described. Furthermore, a machine construotedarranged accordance with the present invention is operated, with highefficiency, by a minimum number of operators, in practically all cases,by only two operators, and in some cases by a single operator, as hereinset forth.

In order to clear the surface of the roadway of dirt and other lcoseforeign particles thereon in the region where the stripeis'applied, theexhaust 'pipefrom the motor of the vehicle I is conveniently extendedand supported, in any approved manher, so that the end portion of thepipe, which is preferably flared, as at '5 i5, is disposed a shortdistance above thesurface ofth'e roadway in the path of the stripeapplying'devic'e. However, other means may be employed forthis purpose.For example, a brush or sweeping element may be carried by "the vehicle,or-an airbl'ast device may be specially provided, but such device ordevices in themselves, do not constitute apart of the presentinventionexcept in-a general way and inccmbination with'other elementsherein shown and claimed, and, therefore, are not specifically shown ordescribed in the present specification.

In practice the machine is preferably further provided with means forcleansing ,the pipe, pump and other parts of the system through whichthe paint is "fed fromthe supplytank it to the paint-applying nozzle l''i. As shown, a tank l i? to contain benzoljgasolene, kerosene or othersuitable paint solvent oi-cleansing liquid, has a pipe connection H8with thepaint supply pipe l8, provided with a suitable cut-off valve H'Swhich may be opened and closed at the will ofthe operator. By thisarrangementthe parts of the paint feeding system can be readily clearedof paint before and after each stripe-applying operaticn of the machineand therebyprevent clogging the system which might otherwise occur dueto the possible drying-and hardening of such paint that remains in theparts after cessation of operation for any considerable time.

While theparticular machine illustrated in the drawings represents apractical adaptation of the invention, it is obvious that manyalterations and modifications may be made within the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined by the appended claims. The invention,therefore, is not limited to the specific construction and arrangementshown.

What is claimed is:

1. In a road-striping machine, a vehicle to travel on the roadway,guiding and steering means,

adjustably provided on the vehicle, for controlling the travel of thevehicle to gauge the location of the stripe, stripe applying meanscomprising a supplemental carriage having wheels to support it on theroad surface and provided with paint-applying brushes to sweep incontact with the road surface when the carriage is so supported,controllable means for supplying, with regulation by an operator, atwill, painting material in the path of said brushes, and means on on thesurface of the roadway coincidentally with the line of the stripe to beapplied and comprising a supplemental wheeled carriage provided with aseries'of sequentially acting, alined,

flexible sheet wiper type and cooperating bristle type brush elementsfollowing the deposited painting material in sweeping contact with thesurface of the roadway.

3. The same as claim 2, and adding: said series of brush elementsincluding an initial brush element of relatively resilient sheetmaterial, the

surface contac'ting marginal portion of which is medially recessed, nextfollowing the same a bristle type brush, thenin sequence abrush elementsimilar to the initial brush element but having a pair of recesses inits lower marginal surface-contacting portion and respectively locatedon opposite sides ofthe middle of the brush element, and a final elementof the bristle brush type.

4. The same asiclaim 2,and"adding: said series of brushelements-including an initial brush-element of relativelylresilientsheet material, arcuately' shaped-in transverse cross-section, with theconcavity forward with respect to the direction of operative travel ofthe-element, the lower marginal surface-contactingportion of the elementhaving a medial recess, a next following element of the bristle brushtype, and then in sequence an element similar tothe'initial brushelement but having a pairiof recesses in its lower marginalsurface-contacting portion respectively located on opposite sides of themiddle of the brush ele ment, and a final element of the bristle brushtype.

5. Theherein described paint-applying device for a roadway stripingmachine, comprising a carriage operably mounted and'controlled to 'beplaced in Working relation to "the roadway surface and lifted therefrom,means to so place and lift said carriage at will, and a 'seriesof brushelements, the marginal surface-contacting portions of whicharerecesse'din'staggeredrelation to eachiother, said elements comprising relativelyresilient sheet material and being arcuately shaped in transverse crosssection with the concavity forward with respect to the direction oftravel in the operation of the device.

6. The same as claim 5, and adding: the initial brush element having asingle, medially located recess, and the next in sequence having a pairof recesses located respectively on opposite sides of the middle of theelement, the other elements of the series having their recessesvariously located to be respectively out of direct alinement with therecess of the initial element.

7. The herein described paint-applying device for a roadway stripingmachine, comprising a carriage adapted to travel on the surface of theroadway and being attached to and supported upon the machine so as totravel in a line parallel with the machine in its travel in operation,freely to follow a straight or a curved path, and being also capable oflowering and raising movement to bring the device into working relationto the roadway and out of such relation, means to so place and lift saidcarriage at will, means for selectively operating the carriage under thecontrol of an operator, a paint-distributing device on said carriage,brush elements on the carriage following, in alinement, after thepaint-distributing device, and means, under the control of an operator,for supplying painting material to said paintdistributing device.

8. In a roadway striping machine, a vehicle to travel on the roadway,painting means on said vehicle, under the selective control of anoperator, said painting means comprising a supplemental wheeled carriageto travel on the roadway and having a universally swivelled attachmentto the vehicle and having provision for lowering it to and lifting itfrom the roadway at will, brush elements arranged in a longitudinallyalined series on said carriage and travelling sequentially in sweepingcontact with the surface of the roadway in the lowered position of thecarriage, said brush elements being alternately of flexible sheet wipertype and bristle type, the sheet wiper type brushes being of arcuatecross section, a paint supply container on the vehicle, a deliverynozzle on the vehicle located forward of said supplemental carriage andsubstantially coincident with the center of the swivelled attachment ofsaid carriage to the vehicle, a pipe connection between said nozzle andpaint supply container, means for driving and steering the vehicle inthe usual conventional manner, and separate means, laterally of thevehicle, but supported by extensions of the vehicle body, for steeringand guiding the vehicle to gauge the location of the stripe, said lastnamed separate means having provision for interchangeable attachment tothe regular conventional steering means of the vehicle.

9. In a roadway striping machine, a motor vehicle, regular means forsteering and guiding the vehicle in the usual conventional manner,separate means for steering the vehicle to gauge the location of thestripe to be painted, said separate means comprising lateral extensionsat each side'of the vehicle body, steering and guiding devices on saidextensions, and means for releasably and interchangeably connectingsaidlaterally located steering and guiding devices on said extensionswith the regular normal steering and guiding mechanism of the vehicle,said last named means comprising a tubular cross member at the front ofthe'vehicle, separate gearing at each en of said tubular member, asteering wheel in each of the steering devices on said lateralextensions of the vehicle body, one of said steering wheels operativelyconnected to the gearing at the adjacent end of said tubular member, theother steering wheel operatively connected to the 5 gearing at the endof said tubular member adjacent thereto, a shaft insertable withrotative mounting in said tubular member, with a driving connection atone end with the adjacent gearing on said tubular member, means fordetachably 10 connecting the opposite end portion of said shaft to thesteering arm of the regular steering mechanism of the vehicle, means fordetachably connecting the other gearing on said tubular member to saidarm of the regular steering mechanism 5 of the vehicle, and sightingelements attachable to the end portions of said tubular member.

10. In a roadway striping machine, a paint supply tank, a power-drivenstirrer in said tank, said stirrer comprising tapered blades working 20near the bottom of the tank, the blades widening towards their outerends and having correspondingly flared openings therein, apaint-applying device operable in proximity to the surface of theroadway, a supply connection between said tank 25 and said paintapplying device, said connection including therein a power-drivenpumping device to force a positive supply of paint to said applyingdevice, and cut-off and flow regulating valves located in said supplyconnection between said 30 tank and said pumping device, the flowregulating valve being located between the cut-off valve and the pumpingdevice under the control of an operator.

11. In a paint-applying device for roadway 35 striping machines and thelike, a distributing nozzle for the paint, located in working relationto the surface of the roadway, said nozzle comprising a verticallydepending supporting and supply pipe having a transverse T-head at its40 lower end provided with downwardly and rearwardly inclined outletopening, and a guard comprising a boxing having a top wall supportedlysecured on said vertically depending pipe and depending front and sidewalls, but no rear wall 5 or bottom.

12. In a paint-applying device for roadway striping machines and thelike, a distributing nozzle for the paint, located in working relationto the surface of the roadway, said nozzle com- 50 prising a verticallydepending supporting and supply pipe having a T-head transverselydisposed at its lower end and provided with downwardly and rearwardlyinclined outlet opening,

a guard comprising a boxing having a top wall 55 supportedly secured onsaid vertically depending pipe and depending front and side walls, butno rear wall or bottom, said front and side walls having dependingflexible and yieldable lower portions, and a drip catcher movablysupported 60 normally in front of the flexible and yieldable front wallportion of said guard and provided with means for moving it at the willof an operator into deformable engagement with said flexible andyieldable front and side wall portions 5 of said guard and in dripcatching relation under the T-head of the nozzle.

JOHN HOUSTON BALL.

